Roller-adjusting means for sugar-cane mills.



H. W. AETKEN.

ROLLER ADJUSTING MEANS FDR SUGAR CANE MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, me.

a 1 w Patented May 29, 1917.

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HUGH WALLACE AITKEN,

OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

ROLLER-ADJUSTING MEANS FOR SUGAR-CANE MILLS.

Original application filed March 16, 1915, Serial No. 14

To all whom itmcmy concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH l VALLAon Arr- KEN, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at Richmond Chambers, 147 Bathstreet, Glasgow, Scotland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Roller-adjusting Means for Sugar-Cane Mills; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of 1"816101108 markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to sugar cane mills of the usual three-roller type.In such mills it is usual to provide means for adjusting the bearings ofthe side rollers in a horizontal direction. Alternatively, however,means have been provided, or proposed, for adjusting the side rollerbearings in a vertical direction, or in a definite oblique direction (e.in a line joining the axes of the top and side rollers) instead of in ahorizontal direction.

My present application is a division of my Patent No. 1,184,294,patented May 23rd, 1916, and filed March 16th, 1915.

It is, in my opinion, of immense advantage in a three-roller sugar canemill to be able to adjust the side rollers with respect to thedumbturner without altering the clearances between the top roller andthe side rollers, and to be able to adjust these clearances (between toproller and side rollers) without aifecting the relationship between theside rollers and the dumbturner.

In my opinion it is only possible to obtain these effects and to derivethe maxima of the advantages obtainable from adjustment of the siderollers by providing means for adjust-ing the positions of the bearingsof these rollers in two directions approximately at right angles to eachother, e. 9., in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction.

My inventionwhich will be described in the following specification andmore particularly defined in the annexed claims has for its object thesecuring of these advantages.

The accompanying drawing will serve to illustrate my invention. Thisfigure is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1911?.

,674. Divided and this application filed February 18, Serial No. 79,070.

vertical section through, and at right angles to, the journal of one ofthe side rollers of a sugar cane mill and shows the means, according tothe present invention, for a dj usting the bearing of this journal. atis the mill headstock or housing, Z) is a recess in this headstock toreceive the journal bearing of one of the side crushing rollers, 0 isthe journal of this roller, (Z is the bearing for this journal, 6 is thecap which holds in the bearing, and f, f are the bolts which secure thiscap. The bottom of the recess in the headstock which receives thebearing is provided with an inclined surface 9 and, engaging with thisinclined surface, is a wedge block it on which the bearing rests. Thiswedge block can be adjusted by means fthe rod 00 which passes through anelongated hole 7) in the cap 6 and is threaded at its outer end toreceive the nut y which i bears on the boss on on the cap 6: by thismeans the bearing can be raised and lowered as desired.

The horizontal adjustment of the bearing is effected by the wedge uwhich is adjusted by means ofthe rod c which passes through theelongated hole It in the headstock and is threaded at its upper end toreceive the nut r which presses the washer t on the boss '27. ontheheadstock. The inclined surface of the nut bears on an inclinedsurface Q0 formed on the cap 6. A plate or bolster block Q ispreferably, but not necessarily, interposed between the wedge 10 and thebearing, and the wedge u either bears on this block or directly on thebearing d.

By means of the two wedges the bearing can be adjusted in any desireddirection and, within certain limits, to any desired extent.

It will be obvious that a wedge employed either for vertical orhorizontal adjustment could be arranged in any one of four differentways. For example, referring to the wedge for vertical adjustment, thiscould be arranged (1) with the upper surface horizontal, the lowersurface inclined, and the larger end at the inside (as shown on thedrawing); (2) with the upper surface horizontal, the lower surfaceinclined, and the larger end at the outside; (3) with the upper surfaceinclined (the bush being then formed with an inclined lower surface),the bottom surface horizontal (the headstock being then formed with ahorizontal surface to receive the wedge) and the larger end at theoutside; (a) same as 3 but with the larger end at the inside. Similarly,as will be obvious, four alternative arrangements of wedge are possiblefor horizontal adjustment.

By means of my invention it is possible to adjust the side roller at theinlet side of the mill for wear of the dumbturner, without altering thenormal space or gap between this roller and the top roller. It is alsopossible to adjust and maintain the back of the dumbturner to be at therequired distance from the megass roller (that is the roller at theoutlet side of the mill). lhis point is of importance, especially in thelast mills of a series, as too much space allows megass to fall through,and too little space allows inadequate area for the escape of juice. Ihave deemed it unnecessary to illust-ate or cescribe in greater detailthe location and function oi? the dumbturner, as this will be familiarto those skilled in the art.

It is not necessary that the two directions of adjustment should beexactly horizontal and exactly vertical respectively; and, in the casewhere the oblique side of the wedge is next the bearing, an exactlyhorizontal movement will not be obtained. Neither is it necessary thatthe two directions of adjustment should be exactly at right angles toeach other, although an approximation to a right angle is advantageous,as, otherwise, adjustment by the one wedge may be partly counteracted byadjustment by the other wedge.

Although it is generally preferable to provide for adjusting thebearings of both side rollers as above described, my invention might beapplied to the bearings of one side roller only.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In amill adapted for the crushing of sugar cane, a headstock having arecess, a bearing in said recess for the journal of a side crushingroller, a wedge block adapted to slide on the bottom of said recess andto support said bearing, a threaded rod adapted to operate said wedgeblock to raise or lower said bearing, a second wedge block at the sideof said bearing, and a threaded rod adapted to raise and lower saidsecond wedge block to move said bearing laterally.

2. In a mill adapted for the crushing of sugar cane, a headstock havinga recess, a bearing in said recess forthe journal of a side crushingroller, a cap closing in said recess, a wedge block adapted to slide onthe bottom of said recess and to support said bearing, a threaded rodadapted to operate said wedge block to raise or lower said bearing, saidrod being provided with a nut engaging with said cap, a second wedgeblock arranged vertically between said bearing and said cap, and athreaded rod adapt ed to raise and lower said second wedge block to movesaid bearing laterally.

3. In a mill adapted for the crushing of sugar cane, a headstock havinga recess, a bearing in said recess for the journal of a side crushingroller, a cap closing in said recess, a wedge block adapted to slide onthe bottom of said recess and to support said bearing, a threaded rodadapted to operate said wedge block to raise or lower said bearing, saidrod being provided with a nut engaging with said cap, a bolster blockarranged vertically at the side of said bearing and between said bearingand said cap, a second wedge block between said bolster block and theinside of said cap and bearing on said bolster block and said cap, and avertical threaded rod adapted to raise and lower said second wedge blockto move said bearing laterally.

I hereby sign my name to this specifi- I cation.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

